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Blogs & Blogging
There must be a reason behind how and why you started your blog; and just for that you must remember that the blog must go on. Whether you write a blog post every day or once a week – don’t forget to blog – by way of your own posts and by commenting on other blogs.
There are some posts that evoke strong reactions and the comments themselves can sometimes be considered blog posts themselves and you can use it to create a brand new post for yourself.
You may read that one needs to maintain X number of posts a day / a week to become an established blog or to keep readers interested .. I reckon that all you need to do is maintain a basic blog schedule / blog goal for yourself. When I started out in 2008, I aimed for at least 2 posts a week / 8 posts a month; and between 2009 to 2011 I’ve gone from an average of 10 posts a month to 17 posts a month – that’s a huge achievement for me.
It takes each of us time to discover our blogger voice – but at the end of the day your blog is a reflection of you and your blogger voice. And if you are ever stumped, just ask yourself ‘why do you blog’ and the post will be ready before you know it !
Bookmark Blogs That Appeal To You
When you aren’t blogging – you should be reading other blogs (and book marking them too). Let’s face it, there are thousands of awesome blogs out there in Blogosphere and as much as we would like to think we can singlehandedly remember every single blog we have ever visited – we can’t and that’s why bookmarks are an awesome way of collating all the blogs that have made an impact on you.
I’ve used ‘De.li.cious’ in the past and have found it to be a useful tool for bookmarking my favourite sites – especially since you can log onto any computer / laptop and import your bookmarks over.
If all the fancy tools for bookmarking are too much to deal with – then I suggest just making ‘folders’ in your regular bookmark provider that comes with IE / Chrome / Firefox and save your favourite blogs on there.
Yay ! That marks the end of my 2nd post for the A to Z Challenge. Would love to know why you blog and if you feel that you have discovered your inner blogger voice ? Are there any social bookmarking tools that you would recommend that has made it easier for you to keep track of your favourite blogs ?
15 comments:
Why do you blog? That's been one that I was very clear on ... Then stuff happened and it all became a little unclear . I think in back on track now - I love blogging and I love connecting with new people.
Thanks for this post - really got me thinking :)
Great post. I blog to write about what interests me and share it with others. I also like to connect with other people and that can't be done by only updating ones own blog. To me the term "blogging" is half posting on mine and half reading / commenting on others. I'm glad you covered that in your post.
Right now I use Google reader for other people's blogs. With following on Blogger they are already in reader. When I have the web version of reader open I try to put blogs into folders. Like writers, A to Z, crafty blogs, tech ones and such.
I have pinned some blog posts in my writing board, so to share and easily find helpful posts, especially when I'm on a different device. Reader is more useful for keeping track of a blog v a specific post.
Claire's Writing Log
Twitter: @ClaireGoverts
I blog to challenge myself, also a way to display my work. I need to work on having a schedule. I hope the A to Z challenge helps with that.
@The Hopeful Romantic .. Glad the post gave you food for thought :) I love connecting with people too, and I've met (online) some fab bloggers who I would love to meet in real life one day :)
@Claire .. thanks for coming by and sharing your comment and tips. Blogging is truly 50:50 of writing your own blog + reading & commenting on other blogs.
@Jacqueline .. Blogging is quite the challenge in itself don't you think ? I've participated in 2 challenges now and they do take a toll on ones creativity but also inspire you for future posts. Best of luck with the A to Z challenge, I'm here as part of your cheering squad :)
"I reckon that all you need to do is maintain a basic blog schedule / blog goal for yourself." -- I think that's one of the best pieces of blogging advice I've heard. I think you need to give your readers consistency so they know what to expect, and that will keep them coming back.
I have SO many bookmarks. For EVERYTHING. I might give delicious.com a try to see if it helps me be more organized.
Excellent post again, with some great tips. :D
I started blogging to tell the world about social anxiety. But I also write about writing, about living in Jerusalem and about anything else that takes my fancy. Last year my A-Z themes were social anxiety and writing. This year I'm doing Jerusalem.
Twitter : @MiriamDrori
I used to post everyday, since I've gone downhill which is why I'm up for the challenge!
I email subscribe to everything, now my inboxnisnoverflowing. Oops!
Twitter: @DirtyLittleW
@Miriam & @MistressMummy firstly apologies for having to re-post your comments; the IntenseDebate version just disappeared from my blog !
@Miriam ..thanks for stopping by my blog. I'm looking forward to your theme on Jerusalem - I have been once before and loved it ! My cousin & her husband lived there for almost 2 years as well.
@MistressMummy .. Every day ? Damn that's fab ! I tried that for the Ultimate Blog Challenge and that was tough !! And I hear you on the over flowing inbox ! LOL
@Clare .. awww thanks !! I'm so glad you connected with that thought. When I first started off blogging, I asked myself why would someone come to my blog and if they do what do they expect; and that's how I figured out a blog schedule for myself i.e. the memes so even if I didn't have something solid to write about I was actively putting content on my blog that interested me and also a whole league of other bloggers :)
Delicious is very easy to use; and would definitely recommend it to you :)
Very good point!
Once you've explained to your demographic how often you will be posting, they will have a time-frame to keep coming back for new content.
Great read!
/Wes
Remembering why you do something every now and then, especially when you get jaded or stuck in a rut, is essential to keeping yourself on track. The internet is such a huge distraction, and then there's "real" life with its many sides and tasks, there's pets and friends and groceries and speeding tickets---sigh---but in the end, if you go about what makes you happy and share the joy with others, life becomes a whole lot more worth living!
Thanks for a great post, Dazediva!
@Wes .. thanks for stopping by, have just left you a comment as well. Looking forward to learning more about gaming from you !
@Vero .. thanks for your sweet words :) Real life really gets in the way of trying to stay on track with our digital lives .. but we'd be empty without having a bit of both in 'our day to day life' .. you've put it perfectly, go about doing your thing and share with those around you and it'll all turn out for the best :)
Great tips! I have never tried delicious, though I hear it is highly recommended!
I don't know if I can say I've discovered my blogger voice-- I've been doing this off and on for about 13 years but still haven't found it! I think it definitely takes effort to get into the groove and until recently I never dedicated that time...
That said, in the mean time, I have developed my writer's/fiction voice, so that's a big plus! I think it'll help a lot with my blogging that I've stopped blogging "just to blog" and started blogging more with themes in mind, creative passions specifically. I have a hard time doing that "day to day" blog thing that everyone else is so good at! One of the greatest things about searching for your voice is finding that which inspires you most :)
Just my 2 cents-- if anyone reading hasn't found it yet, keep exploring! You may find some awesome things on the way!
Great post. I have to figure out how to bookmark other blogs, that would save me a lot of time. I've been blogging for a year and I still feel so new to it. I like your suggestions. Thanks.
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